When it comes to nature photography, birds hog all the limelight. Even when photographers head out in pursuit of invertebrates, it's the bright and flashy dragonflies and butterflies that attract the most attention. Yet there is an entire world that we usually overlook. We may care about the plight of the giant panda and Siberian tiger and bald eagle, but we often forget all about the realm that exists beneath our feet.

Nicky is one of several talented local photographers who focus (literally) on the little things - insects, spiders, and other invertebrates, and was recently featured in an article in The Straits Times about the rise of nature photography in Singapore.

"Shooting even tinier animals such as insects and spiders is backbreaking work for the macro shooters, who may have to contort their bodies to get close to their subjects. But it was all worth it for game studio manager Nicky Bay, 35, whose photo of a ladybird-mimicking spider last year stirred up such interest that it was published on several websites overseas, including that of the Telegraph newspaper in England."

Yet because we don't see the majority of them as cute and cuddly, we either ignore them completely, or fear and revile them.

(Marine bias, but you get my drift)

The arthropods - insects, crustaceans, arachnids, horseshoe crabs, myriapods (centipedes and millipedes), and a bunch of other animals with exoskeletons and jointed legs, dominate most ecosystems, both in the oceans and on land, in terms of diversity of species, numbers, and ecological importance.

Arthropods and other terrestrial invertebrates serve numerous roles in the greater interconnected web of life - as predator, prey, scavenger, parasite, pollinator, and more. They break down nutrients locked up in dung, carrion and decaying plant matter, allowing them to be recycled. Their digging and burrowing turns vast quantities of soil. The multitude of tiny mandibles removes vegetation on a scale that rivals the prodigious appetites of the largest vertebrate herbivores. They create micro-habitats for other species. Some pollinate the plants we rely on as crops, while others hunt or parasitise those that feed on and destroy our crops. And some produce substances that we then extract and harvest, like honey, silk, and cochineal.

Indeed, as biologist E.O Wilson once wrote, the invertebrates are truly the little things that run the world, and the rise of macro photography has played an important role in highlighting the amazing diversity of bizarre animals.

I strongly believe that many species of jumping spiders, with their large eyes and furry bodies, qualify as 'cute'.

Heavy jumper, Pasir Ris;

Left: Dairy Farm Nature Park;
Right: Rifle Range Road;

Left: Bukit Timah;
Right: Upper Peirce;

Left: Mandai;
Right: Tampines Eco-Green;

Here are some more examples of Nicky's excellent work.

Rhinoceros beetles, Tampines Eco-Green;

Tortoise beetle, Pasir Ris;

Lynx spider, Chestnut Avenue;

Boxer mantis, Rifle Range Road;

Katydid, Durian Loop;

The amount of detail on this ant's exoskeleton is simply amazing.
Upper Peirce;

Don't you think this orange, furry huntsman spider looks a lot like an orangutan?
Nangka Trail;

Tarantula, Nangka Trail;

This is a tarantula's foot.
Upper Peirce;

Did you know that scorpions actually glow under ultraviolet light?
Durian Loop;

If you visit some of our forests at night, you might stumble upon a small patch of tiny bioluminescent mushrooms.
Venus Drive;

Part of what makes the arthropods so interesting is that some of them look so strange.

There's something beautiful about the process of moulting, where the creature emerges from its old skin, soft and vulnerable, and progresses to its next phase in life.

Two-tailed spider moulting process, Durian Loop;

Adult black and golden cicada emerging, Zhenghua Park;

And because arthropods are so small, many of them don't require huge swathes of pristine habitat in order to survive. It's true that a number of species are heavily dependent on healthy, intact forests, but you'd be surprised to see what can be found thriving in small patches of scrub, roadside verges, and urban parks and gardens.

Macro photography shows us that biodiversity is not just about birds, cute and furry mammals, or colourful butterflies. Far from being scary and alien, there's beauty and wonder to be found in even the smallest of creatures going about their lives, unnoticed by most of us. Through the efforts of macro photographers like Nicky, may we gain a greater appreciation for these spineless wonders.

"We have a responsibility toward the other life-forms of our planet whose continued existence is threatened by the thoughtless behavior of our own human species.... Environmental responsibility – for if there is no God, then, obviously, it is up to us to put things right."
- Jane Goodall